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Thursday, June 14, 2018

I was actually inspired by a Vietnamese noodle/salad bar in South Australia. The fragrant aroma of the chicken being grilled was what drew me into that little stall in the Adelaide CBD.

Its savoury, sweet and fragrant. This dish is an easy crowd pleaser, especially in a barbecue. When cooking at home in the oven, the aroma just fills the place. It is actually a variation of the chicken recipe in the Thai Chicken Salad I posted some time ago.

Method
1. Mix all marinade ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Then marinade chicken in the mix, for at least an hour.

2. If using an oven, preheat oven to 190 degrees. Lay the chicken on a baking tray skin side up. Cook for 25-30 mins. (If you want crispier skin, you can sear the skin on a skillet over the stove over high heat for a few mins before putting the chicken in the oven.)

3. If cooking over a grill or barbecue, cook skin side down first, over medium heat. Should take about 6-10 mins (Depending on how hot your grill is) to get that nice rendering you want on the skin. Then flip them over, grill until cooked through. About another 5-10 minutes or so.

4. Let the chicken rest for a few mins. Toss with the spring onions, shallots and Thai sweet chilli sauce. Serve.

Friday, May 11, 2018

My first post in a long while. Relocation and adjustments to deal with. Hope to have more posts in the future.

This is comfort food that is
very simple to put together. Inspired somewhat by all the beef Pho around near
where we live. While not the same thing, its more of a short cut beef noodle
soup dish that one can put together with relative ease after work. Especially
on a cold day, this is so good.

The trick to a quick dinner prep is to actually
do most of the work while the broth is simmering. Literally can be done in 45
mins or less and way more satisfying than instant noodles.

You can use your own homemade beef stock, which is highly recommended. In a pinch, store bought works fine.

What you will need to
serve 4

For the soup / broth

4 pieces of star anise

1 cinnamon quill

1 teaspoon black
peppercorns

8 cloves garlic –
crushed with the side of a knife

1 bunch Corriander
Root – washed clean and crushed with the side of a knife – Reserve leaves for
garnish.

1 cup spinach or other
Asian greens (Bok Choy or Mustard greens are great as well)

400-600 grams Beef
Tenderloin (Eye Fillet) – Thinly sliced.

Method

Cut the corriander at the stem, about 2 inches above to root. Wash clean, set aside the leaves and root separately. The leaves will be used when serving.

Drizzle a little light
soy sauce over the beef and mix. Set aside.

In a large pot or
stockpot, heat some cooking oil (about 2 tablespoons) over a medium heat. When
oil is heated up, put in the Garlic, peppercorns, coriander rood, shallots, star
anise and cinnamon. Fry until fragrant. About 5 mins. Browning on the garlic
and shallots is good, just don’t burn them.

Add all the beef stock
into the pot. Add the soy sauces and oyster sauce and fish sauce. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil and then lower heat, allowing to simmer for about
20mins.

While the broth is
simmering, cook your noodles according to packaging instructions and portion into
serving bowls.

Blanch vegetables and portion
into serving bowls.

Portion the beef over
the noodles and vegetables in the serving bowls. (yes raw)

Turn off the heat in
the stockpot. Pour or ladle half of the broth into each serving bowl through a
strainer. The heat from the hot broth should cook the sliced beef just right.
If you are not comfortable with rare beef, just blanch the beef in small bowl
of the broth prior to serving.

Method
1. Season the meat in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, pepper and corn flour. Mix well. Leave for at least 30 mins. Using corn flour or corn starch is a technique that helps the meat stay tender and also helps with flavour retention of the meat you are marinating.

2. In a small bowl, mix the rest of the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce mix well.

3. In a large wok or frying pan, heat about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium high heat. When oil is heated (Its starts to shimmer and moves around the pan more easily). Add the chicken and fry until the chicken starts to brown a little on the outside on all sides (About 8-10 mins). Turn off the heat. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Note: If you left the skin on the chicken, its a good idea to ensure the skin is rendered for additional flavour. Un-rendered poultry skin can be a put off, at least to me.

4. There should be some oil left from frying the chicken. (If you left the skin on, there will probably more oil left in the pan than you need. You can mop some of it with a paper towel if you have to.) Turn the heat back up to medium. When oil is heated throw in the onions, garlic, chillies and lime leaves. Fry for about 4-6 minutes, sweating the onions and garlic a little, till they just start to brown and then Add all of the sauce mix. Mix well.

5. Add the chicken back in next. Stir fry for another about 5-8 minutes then add all the basil leaves and turn off the heat. Mix well, until the basil leaves are wilted.

6. Serve with steamed rice and a fried egg.

Note: For added authenticity, the Thai street style fried egg is not the same as your "non-stick pan" sunny side up. The That street one actually use quite a bit of cooking oil. Almost shallow frying the egg till you get crispy edges and the yolk remaining runny.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

A really great way to get maximum enjoyment from a cheaper cut of meat. The wine and stock keep the meat tender and moist. I mean really moist. I find serving this with squash and carrots make for a great meal.

This is similar to my other pork belly recipe, but this has Crackling, how can you go wrong with proper crackling?

1. Dry the skin of the pork with a paper towel, then score the skin with a 1.5cm (does not have to be exact) checkered pattern(it will help with portions later) with a very sharp blade (Like a Stanley knife). Season thoroughly with salt and pepper, using your fingers to rub in the salt and pepper. Set the pork aside.

2. If your roasting tray can go on the stove, heat some cooking oil over a medium heat. When the oil is heated, lightly brown the carrots, chilli flakes, onions and garlic.

2b. Alternative method is to use a saute pan and transfer the contents to the roasting tray after browning. If using a pan, deglaze the pan with some stock to get all the tasty browned bits off the pan and into the tray.

3. Add the thyme to the onion and garlic mix. Place the pork - (skin side up) on top of the onions and garlic. Pour in all the wine. Then pour in just enough chicken stock to partially cover the pork. Do not let the liquid get high enough to touch the skin. Pouring just enough for the liquid level to touch the fat below the skin. (You can use the garlic/onions to prop up the pork before adding the liquid)

4. Cook in the oven for 2.5 hours or until you get the crackle you want. (Don't panic if some of the edges get burnt, you can scrape them of later.)

5. Let the pork rest for about 10 mins before carving. Use a serrated knife. Serve with your favourite grilled veg and some of the braising liquid.

6. Optional step - make a roux, about 1 tablespoon worth and mix it with the strained braising liquid for a great sauce!

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

One of my favourite dishes when I was posted to Thailand almost 20 years ago. Colleagues and I would look out for stalls selling this dish. Also a very common dish over there. I find myself cooking this whenever really fresh Thai Basil pops up at the local market.My rendition of this dish includes dark soy sauce and sesame oil, as I feel it adds some punch to the dish. The traditional recipe probably would not have used soy and sesame oil. Also to note, purists would not use anything other than fish sauce for salinity. Ingredients500g minced or thinly sliced beef. (Can be substituted with chicken or pork)1 small yellow onion - sliced8 garlic cloves - roughly chopped or mincedHandful of Thai basil- leaves only (use continental basil if you cannot find Thai ones.)2 Kaffir Lime leaves4-8 bird's eye chillies (Or however much you want.) - sliced4 tablespoons fish sauce2 tablespoons dark soy sauce2 teaspoons sugarDrizzle of sesame oil.Pepper1 egg per person - cooked sunny side upMethod1. Season the meat in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and pepper. Mix well. 2. In a small bowl, mix the rest of the fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil. Mix well.3. In a large wok or frying pan, heat about 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium high heat. When oil is heated (Its starts to shimmer and moves around the pan more easily) throw in the onions and garlic. Fry for about 2-3 minutes, sweating the onions and garlic a little.4. Add the meat next. While frying, use the spatula to break up the meat a much as you can. Fry for about 5-8 minutes, until the meat is about halfway cooked through.5. Add in the chillies, lime leaves and the sauce mix. Mix well. Continue to fry until meat is cooked through. About another 7-10 mins or so. Turn off the heat and add in the basil leaves, mix well until wilted. 6. Serve with steamed rice and a fried egg. Enjoy!

Sunday, November 22, 2015

This is a popular dish in Taiwan. The 3 cups refer to the 3 elements that make up the sauce. Rice Wine, Soya Sauce and Sesame Oil. Combined with generous amounts of garlic and basil, the cooking process of this dish creates an appetising fragrance that permeates the whole home (well my little apartment anyway).

San Bei Ji

The result is a really tasty dish with punchy bold flavours that is nutty, savoury and slightly sweet at the same time.

A dish of Taiwanese origins, I believe that a cup refers to the Chinese Tea cup that is about 100ml or so. As opposed to to the metric cup of 250 ml.

Here are the ingredients, serves 2-4. Depending on how much other food you have at the meal.

1. Season the chicken with some soy sauce and ground white pepper and set aside.

2. Heat a large wok or large suacepan over medium heat. Add in the sesame oil. When the oil is heated. Add in the all the garlic and ginger. Fry for about 2 minutes until fragrant.

3. Then add in the chicken, chillies, mushroom and capsicum. Spread the chicken around the pan or work. You want nice browning on the chicken pieces. Stir fry until the surface of the chicken pieces turn light brown. About 5-8 minutes.

4. At this point, add in the Shaoxing wine, both Soy Sauces and sugar. Stir Fry for about 3 minutes, mixing everything well.

5. Cover and lower the heat. Simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the chicken to cook through and absorb the sauces.

6. Remove the cover, toss in the basil and spring onions. Stir fry for about a minute.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Chilli Con Carne - Actually means Chilli with meat. Recipe variations are really wide. E.g. There are those who believe beans and tomatoes should not be included and there are those who differ from that point of view. The recipe changes from state to state in the US and Mexico.

Chilli Con Carne

I got inspired to try my hand at this dish after watching an episode Diners Drive-ins and Dives on Foodnetwork Channel. I brought this dish to two pot lucks and it was very well received at both. Its an awesome dish for a pot luck as it can be made the day or even days before. It will taste better after spending some night(s) in the fridge.

1. Add the bacon into a large stockpot over high heat. Fry for about a minute. Add the diced onions and capsicum and fry for about 3 - 5 minutes (Until they soften and onions turn translucent) Add the garlic and saute for another 1 or 2 minutes.

2. Add the chuck and sear for about 4 minutes (If using) and then add the ground beef and sausage and sear, stirring gently, try not to break up the ground beef too much. Cook until the meat is nicely browned and cooked through should take 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and tomato puree. Cook out the tomatoes and puree for about 4 minutes. Stir in the beer and stock. Use the liquid to de-glaze the pot, mopping up any brown bits sticking to your pot. Add the kidney and pinto beans(with all the juice from the cans, as the starch will help tighten up the chilli).

5. At this point, add the chocolate and tomato ketchup, mix well. Simmer for about 2 hours. Checking and stirring regularly, every 20 minutes or so on very low heat, just so the bottom does not burn. Or or use a slow cooker

Serve the chilli in bowls, garnished with Spring Onions and/or Corriander and Cheddar.
Great with Fries and Tortilla Chips! Enjoy!

Friday, August 28, 2015

Haven't been posting in a while. Sorry for the long hiatus. I did a few BBQs that involved steaks and I had some folks asking this question, "How to cook a good steak at home?". Since its way past due for a new post. I thought I'd post something about how I do my steaks at home.

Cooking steak at home is not hard nor is it every complicated. It does take some practice however. Getting to know your Most of the work is done while choosing the steak. Choosing the right cut at the butcher's. A cut that is right for you and suits your preferences.

General Rule of thumb, the more the muscle is used the stronger the flavour of the meat/cut.

After choosing the right cut, now you start to prepare the steak. There are different schools of thought (eg Salt aging, cooking from frozen etc...) but I will not cover them all here. I will just cover the method I use the most.

1. Let the meat reach room temperature if you have the luxury of time. Should take about 30mins to an hour outside the fridge.

2. When ready to cook, pat the beef really dry with a paper towel. Then season both sides assertively with salt and pepper.

3. Next heat some cooking oil in heavy based saute pan or frying pan over high heat. Get it really hot. Then add in the beef. Lay the beef the a direction that is away from you, to prevent hot oil splattering on yourself. Immediately after the beef goes in, lower the heat to medium or medium high,

4. To get it medium rare, typically takes about 2-3 minutes per side. If you like a good sear, avoid flipping your beef back and forth. When on the second side, I typically like to finish of with a knob of butter, a few garlic cloves (lightly bruised with skin on)and some thyme. Baste the steak with the melted butter during the cooking.

5. Remove from the pan and let the beef rest for half the cooking time before serving.

Steps:
1. In a medium large saucepan or deep-sided sauté plan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Then add in all the sliced onions. Stir well to incorporate the butter with all the onions. Stir frequently to help the onions brown at relatively the same rate and to prevent burning. Might be difficult in the beginning due to the quantity and size of your pan. The onions will shrink alot as they cook. Do this until the onions soften and get to a nice golden brown. Should take about 10-15 mins.

2. At this point add the beef stock a little bit at a time. Cook until all the liquids have greatly reduced. This step also serves to de-glaze the pan, incorporating the browned goodness from the base or sides of the plan. Continue stirring frequently until the onions reach a nice brown colour. Probably another 3-5 minutes or so.

3. Turn off the heat and put all the onions in the food processor and blend till smooth. Remove and place in a large bowl.

4. Add the mustard and remaining butter, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

The wife loves baked eggs in a tomato based sauce. So I decided to make this for breakfast one day. We both love little spicy kick in our food sometimes, (Actually its most of the time for me) so this is my spicy rendition of a great brunch dish. The trick is timing the bake, so as not to overcook the eggs.

2. In a oven-safe frying pan, heat some oil over medium heat. When the oil is heated, fry the sausage chunks until they achieve nice browning on the surfaces. Remove sausages from the pan and set them aside, leaving the oil behind.

3. Next fry the diced capsicum in the pan for about a 2-3 minutes. Next add the onions, garlic, chilli flakes and smoked paprika. Fry for about 3-4 minutes, until the onions soften and the chillies give off their aroma. Then add the tomatoes and tomato puree and cook for about 5-10 minutes (cooking out the tartness from the tomatoes), stirring often. Taste as you go, adding salt and pepper as you like. Turn off the heat once you get the consistency and depth of flavor that you want. (I like my tomatoes really cooked out, so I sometimes cook them out a little longer)

3. Make a couple of little wells in the sauce with a spoon or ladle and pour the eggs in. Place the whole pan in the oven and grill for 6-10 minutes. (Depending on how runny you like your eggs).

4. Remove from the oven, garnish generously with basil and grated Parmesan. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil if you like. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

I was at a nearby supermarket and the salmon fillets and leeks looked really good that day. I decided to use them both for dinner so I bought both, together with some cream and carrots and went home and made dinner.Very enjoyable dinner. The leek infused sauce really brought the dish together. I thought the highlight was the crispy skin on the Salmon. Getting that skin nice and crispy is so crucial to the enjoyment factor of this meal.

Pan Seared Salmon with Carrot mash and Leek Cream

Here is what you'll need for 4 servings.4 Salmon fillets - About 200 grams each.200ml whipping cream1 leek - sliced (White and light green parts only. Discard the dark green and leafy parts)3-4 large carrots - peeled and cut into large chunks2 tablespoons unsalted butter2-3 sprigs of Italian Parsley - Leaves only, roughly chopped1/4 Milk (For when the puree is too dry to blend)Chopped chives for garnish (Optional)StepsFor the Carrot Mash1. Boil the carrots for about 40 mins in salted water, until they are soft enough for a fork to go through them easily. Strain and set aside. (alternatively, you could bake them wrapped in foil for about 45-60 minutes in an oven at 160 degrees Celsius).2. Let them cool for a while then puree in a food processor or blender. To ease the blending use some milk if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in 1 tablespoon of butter. Set aside.Leek Cream Sauce1. In a frying pan over medium heat, melt some butter. When butter starts to heat up and bubble, add in the leeks. Fry the leeks until they soften and start to give off a nutty aroma, just before they brown. Should take 3-5 minutes. Then add the cream and parsley. Turn of the heat when cream is heated up or boiling. Set aside.For the Salmon Fillets:1. Season the fillet with salt and pepper. Heat some oil over medium heat in a frying pan. When oil is heated up, lay in the salmon, skin side down. Cook for about 3 minutes and turn over and cook for about 1-2 minutes. You want the skin nice and crispy. Cooking times may vary based on the thickness of your fillets. If your skillet/pan is not big enough to cook 4 at the same time, you may need to cook in batches. When done, remove the fillets from pan and set aside.Serve the Carrots and Salmon together and pour the sauce over the fish and carrot. Garnish with chives if using and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Creamed spinach is apparently a quintessential side dish to a steak meal. The wife and I had this at an upmarket steakhouse a while ago. We really liked it. The one we had was served with a sunny side up egg, which the waiter hacked to bits with a spoon at your table side.

The nearby Cold Storage was having a discount on baby spinach recently so we bought 2 packs. I really didn't feel like a salad that day (but then again I rarely do! ;P) so I thought I'd try my own rendition of creamed spinach. Both the wife and I found it rather enjoyable. The poached egg yolk added to the richness and bits of egg white gave the dish some textural variation.

1. Boil a large pot of salted water. (about 2 teaspoons of salt). When water comes to a boil, put all the spinach in. They take just seconds to wilt. When wilted, remove and strain the liquid. Set aside to cool.

2. Next mince the spinach with a knife on a chopping board. Or you can use a food processor if you want it really fine. I like mine with some bite, so I just used a knife to chop up the spinach.

3. In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Then sautee the onion and garlic till they turn soft. Add the cream and mix well. When the cream is heated up, turn off the heat and add the spinach and Parmesean (If using) and mix everything well together.

4. Serve in shallow bowls and top with poached eggs if desired. Serve warm.